1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device designed to provide an awning that may be retracted to a collapsed unit that will occupy minimal space and be suited for mounting on a vehicle such as a truck or recreation vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Awnings are one of the most common fixtures provided for protection against the elements. The typical design is a frame that extends laterally from a wall. The frame supports a sheet made of materials such as cloth, plastic, or nylon. The framed sheet acts as a barrier protecting any person or thing located below it from rain and direct sunlight. While permanent awning designs are prevalent and are well suited to stationary structures they are not appropriate for vehicles. An awning of this type attached to a vehicle would be quickly torn away due to the force created by wind resistance. Therefore an awning that is to be used with a vehicle must be retractable into a unit that may be stored against the side of the vehicle. There are a number of vehicles that would be greatly enhanced by such a unit. Delivery trucks are one example. Often delivery trucks must be loaded or unloaded while exposed to the elements. The men and women who unload these trucks need protection from the elements while performing this task. A unit that may be erected quickly prior to unloading and just as quickly retracted into a compact unit would greatly improve the conditions for these workers.
Many of the inventions that exist in the prior art to address this need comprise a roller mounted on hinged supports. The present invention combines novel aspects in its design for supports. These improvements make the frame of the awning sturdier. The mechanisms for rotating the roller introduced by the present invention are easier and more reliable then the existing devices. This improvement will make the present invention a much more efficient device then those taught by the prior art.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,397,006 to Donald R. Grant discloses an extension structure for a camper. This structure comprises a support design for the frame of the awning that uses two arms that mount a roller at the top. These arms do not have any additional support provided to hold them in place. This will place unnecessary weight on the cloth awning that will reduce the lifetime of the awning. The added supports provided in this design are vertical drop downs that extend from the end of the supports to the ground. These will create inconvenient obstructions that will interfere with the unloading of trucks. The rollup mechanism of the Grant ""006 patent uses a chain driven axle that is cranked by the installer at the lower end of the support. This will greatly increase the weight of the supports and creates a risk of mechanical failure that may occur if the chain is knocked of track or if the cogwheels fail due to wear and tear.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,612,145 to Andrew J. Darula is another design for a rollup awning that may be used with a travel trailer. The support arms for this device consist of telescoping rods whose length will adjust according to the position of the awning cover. As with the Grant ""006 patent these arms do not have any additional support provided to hold them in place. This will place unnecessary weight on the cloth awning that will reduce the lifetime of the awning. The rollup mechanism of the Darula ""145 patent incorporates a hexagonal end piece at the end of the roller. A wrench is provided to enable the installer to rotate the roller by engaging the wrench with the end piece. This is awkward since turning the wrench requires a wide circular motion and the wrench can be easily disengaged.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,722,571 to John D. Knight describes an awning that may be self-stored. As with the Grant ""006 and Darula ""145 patents, these arms do not have any additional support provided to hold them in place. This will place unnecessary weight on the cloth awning that will reduce the lifetime of the awning. The rollup mechanism of the Knight ""571 patent incorporates a roller that is affixed to the wall. A rope that is wrapped around a cogwheel rotates this roller. This design poses several problems. The rope can become entangled which would block the rolling mechanism. The rope will wear with use and eventually break. Finally the rope is permanently affixed and will not be suited for vehicles since it will vibrate under wind resistance.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,192 to Henry J. Duda is am awning assembly that is designed for travel trailers and mobile homes. Like the earlier described patents the present invention uses a pair of support arms that swing away from the wall of the v vehicle and hold the end of an awning. The only additional support provided in this invention is a pair of supports that extend along the side of the awning and provide attachments to maintain the desired form of the awning. This will not provide the level of support that is introduced in the support system described by the present invention. The rollup mechanism of the Duda ""192 patent is a spring-loaded roller that will automatically retract when released. This design will present greater opportunity for mechanical failure as the spring is used repeatedly. It also does not allow for the flexibility that the manual mechanism of the present invention provides.
U.S. Pat. No. D449,116 to Charles Randall Sullivan is a design patent for awnings that may be mounted adjacent to mobile homes. The disclosure in this patent is for a particular sports logo design on the top of awnings. This is not related to the novelty introduced by the present invention.
Therefore a need exists for a novel and enhanced method for supporting an awning so to that it will be easily retracted in an efficient manner. This need includes a durable rotation mechanism and a sturdy support. In this respect the retractable awning according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing retractable awnings.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of awnings now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved combination of stability and effortless installation, and overcomes the abovementioned disadvantages and drawbacks of the prior art. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved retractable awning which has all of the advantages of the prior art mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a retractable awning which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by the prior art, either alone or in combination thereof.
In furtherance of this objective, retractable awning comprises a pair of support arms attached at the bottom end by a hinge to a wall. Mounted on the ends of these support arms is a roller that is held so that it may be moved in a rotational motion. Attached to the roller is a rectangular section of material. One side of the material is attached to the roller while the other side of the material is attached to the wall. Attached to the end of the roller is a chain link. Provided with the present invention is a rotating tool comprising a hooked end and a rectangular indentation in the middle. The hook of the tool may be looped through the link at the end of the roller and used to rotate the roller.
There has been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated.
The present invention may in addition comprise an alternate design whereby a roller is attached to the wall and attached to this roller is the rectangular section of material. The opposite end of the material is attached to a rod that connects the ends of the pair of supports. The roller is attached to a chain driven sprocket. The chain that is engaged with this sprocket is driven by a motor to rotate the roller.
In order to ensure that the support arms will drop to the appropriate position as the awning is unrolled, each support arm is attached to a counter weight. The counter weight being mounted at the upper end of the support arm.
An additional aspect of the retractable awning is a stabilizer rod. One end of the rod is attached to the wall by a hinge. The other end of the stabilizer rod comprises a support to be engaged with the midpoint of a support arm.
In order to secure the support arms of the present invention a bracket is mounted on the wall. The bracket defines a retainer space that will accept a support arm. Attached to the bracket is a bracket closure so that a support arm will be held within the bracket when the bracket closure is engaged.
Numerous objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description of presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In this respect, before explaining the current embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved retractable awning that has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved retractable awning that may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved retractable awning that has a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such improved rail mounted fishing pole holder economically available to the buying public.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new retractable awning that provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty that characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.